2014 Audi A6 2.0 Quattro

To fuel your love of cars,

I’d driven A 6’s before. Great cars. So I just jumped into this A6 and drove it for a week. Didn’t ever look at the window sticker. Just assumed that it was the usual and most excellent 3.0 supercharged engine that powers most Audi A6’s.

Wrong.

This A6 had Audi’s 2.0 Turbocharged four hooked up to Audi’s 8-speed Steptronic automatic. I’ve gotta’ tell you….this is a great combination.

In talking with some people from Audi, they were concerned that the four in the relatively big A6 might be perceived as perhaps a mite “malnourished”. Not to worry, Audi.

Buy this car for its engine.

And it’s steering feel…its suspension…brakes…its understated luxury….it’s ability to carry five and their gear comfortably…it’s all-wheel-drive….even its gas mileage. More on that in a moment, tho’.

Audi’s turbocharged 2.0 liter four-cylinder is one sweet engine….always ready to go with just a tap of the toe. And it has none of the lag that seems to come with most Turbos these days.

Audi rates this engine at 220 HP. Running through Audi’s new 8-speed automatic, it feels like you’re always in the right gear….for acceleration or economy.

Economy? In a big prestigious high-performance vehicle? Believe it.

Thanks to that 8-speed, Audi’s A6 2.0 Quattro is rated at 20 city, but a big 29 mpg on the road. We got just a hair under 30 on a road trip, going with the flow of traffic, which was running a good 5-10 mph over posted limits. Close to 30 mpg in a vehicle with this performance and capability is just flat-out amazing.

As with most vehicles, A6’s come in a variety of flavors…starting with a base “Premium” edition, equipped with a 2.0 turbo four going through a continuously variable transmission that lists for $43,100 + transportation.

I’d suggest skipping the base model and ante up a few thousand more for the “Premium Plus” edition. This will get you the 8-speed auto which’ll give you a much more enjoyable driving experience than the CVT….and you’ll also get Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights, voice recognition, keyless start and entry, rear-view cam, and front and rear parking sensors. Money well-spent.

If you’ve just got to go faster or further, another 10K or so will give you two more choices….Audi’s Supercharged V-6 or it’s 3.0 diesel. Both are great engines.

The Supercharged six will shave a couple of seconds off of the Turbo four’s zero to 60 time….and the diesel will get you a few more mpg.

But for under 54K, our A6 Turbo four Quattro with 19” alloys, sport suspension and Bose sound is one of the most complete, competent and enjoyable packages on the market today.